Serving the public by regulating physicians and surgeons

Share Your Feedback

Considering the views of the public, the medical profession, and health partners assists the College in developing practice standards and guidelines that are useful to practising physicians in BC, and in some cases, provide clarity to members of the public about what they should expect when they seek care from a physician. Practice standards and guidelines serve as a benchmark against which the conduct of individual physicians is measured. This page lists opportunities for you to get involved and share your feedback on important issues.

Current Opportunities

Previous Opportunities

These consultations are now closed; the College thanks all those who participated.

Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Closing Date: November 26, 2019

The purpose of this consultation was to gather feedback from members of the public and physicians to help guide revisions to the College’s Complementary and Alternative Therapies practice standard. A total of 523 physicians and 506 members of the public participated in the consultation. Of the public participants, 27% identified that they had been prescribed a complementary or alternative therapy by their physician. While some felt that their physician provided them with enough information, others felt that their physician did not explain the therapy appropriately before recommending it. Common themes from the written feedback highlighted the importance of patient education, obtaining proper informed consent and conducting on-going patient assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy. The feedback gathered will be shared with the Patient Relations, Professional Standards and Ethics Committee and used to help draft a revised standard.

Independent Medical Examinations

Closing Date: September 4, 2019

The purpose of this consultation was to gather feedback from the public and physicians to help guide revisions to the College’s Independent Medical Examinations draft practice standard. A total of 107 physicians and 21 members of the public participated in this consultation. Of the 21 public participants, 13 identified as having undergone an independent medical examination (IME). While some members of the public felt that the physician conducting the IME did so appropriately, others felt that the physician did not explain the process well enough, offered biased opinions, or treated them without compassion. The feedback gathered will be shared with the Patient Relations, Professional Standards and Ethics Committee and used to help strengthen the draft standard.

Advertising and Communication with the Public

Closing Date: June 4, 2019

This consultation gathered feedback from 313 physicians and 20 members of the public. The goal of this consultation was to assess public perspectives and experiences related to physicians’ advertising practices, and to gather feedback from physicians on the core standard principles. Based on the responses received during this consultation, a new practice standard will be drafted then brought back to the College’s Patient Relations, Practice Standards and Ethics Committee for review.

Procedural Pain Management Accreditation Standards

Closing Date: May 27, 2019

The purpose of this consultation was to gather feedback on the College’s draft procedural pain management accreditation standards: Procedural Pain Management (core standards), Procedural Pain Management – Emergency Cart, Procedural Pain Management – Ultrasound Modality, and Procedural Pain Management – X-ray Modality. There were 554 participants in the online consultation, of which, 268 identified as patients. In addition to the online consultation many written letters and emails were received. The feedback gathered from this consultation will be used to help guide further revisions to the draft standards before they are shared in a second consultation.

Charging Fees to Patients

Closing Date: April 30, 2019

The purpose of this consultation was to gather feedback on the College’s Charging Fees to Patients practice standard, which combined principles from two previously existing guidelines: Annual Fees to Patients and Missed Appointments. A total of 310 physicians and 44 members of the public participated in this consultation. The public respondents provided insight into their past experiences; while some felt that their physician charged them an appropriate fee, others felt that they were charged a fee for inappropriate reasons and without adequate communication. Public participants also expressed that physicians should consider the patient’s ability to pay before charging a fee. The feedback gathered will be shared with the Patient Relations, Professional Standards and Ethics Committee and used to help guide further revisions to the draft standard.

Conflict of Interest

Closing Date: January 31, 2019

The purpose of this consultation was to gather feedback on the College’s Conflict of Interest practice standard which was revised to include principles from the existing Conflict of Interest Arising from Clinical Research professional guideline, as well as new sections outlining conflict of interest as it relates to a physician’s relationship with industry and education. A total of 109 physicians and 54 members of the public participated in this consultation. The main theme from public feedback was the desire for transparency; patients want their doctors to be up-front with them, and appreciate having full disclosure about any industry relationships their physician may have. The College will further revise the Conflict of Interest standard based on the input received, and will seek approval from the Board to publish the revised version.

Sale and Dispensing

Closing Date: November 2, 2018

This consultation was held to gather input from physicians and the public on two practice standards related to medicine and commerce: Sale and Dispensing of Drugs by Physicians, and Promotion and Sale of Products. Feedback was gathered from a total of 144 participants. Results from the consultation will be shared with the Patient Relations, Professional Standards and Ethics (PRPSE) committee who will review the practice standards on November 21, 2018.

Referral-Consultation Process

Closing Date: August 3, 2018

Roughly 250 participants took part in this consultation on the revised Referral-Consultation Process guideline. After reviewing the consultation feedback and making further minor revisions, the Referral-Consultation Process guideline was approved by the Board and published to the College website on August 8, 2018.

To view a short video outlining the revision process for this guideline, click here.

Referral-Consultation Process

Closing Date: June 5, 2018

During this consultation, over 1,200 participants offered valuable input and recommendations for the guideline. Subsequently, several amendments were made to the guideline. Due to the vast amount of feedback received, complexity of the issue, and the substantial changes made to the guideline, the College will be sharing the revisions with the public and the profession before publishing.

Continuity of Care Standards

Closing Date: May 11, 2018

Synopsis: This consultation included three different standards related to continuity of care (Leaving Practice, Ending the Patient-Physician Relationship, and Care Coverage Outside Regular Office Hours). Roughly 300 participants completed the survey. Following the consultation several revisions were made to the practice standards, and all three standards were published to the College website on June 4, 2018.

Safe Prescribing of Opioids and Sedatives

Closing Date: May 18, 2018

This consultation, which included 184 participants, was held to assess the recent revisions made to the Safe Prescribing of Opioids and Sedatives standard following the first consultation such as the title change, the removal of stimulant medications, and the added clarity on prescribing appropriateness. Following the consultation, several minor revisions were made and the revised standard was published to the College website on June 4, 2018.

To view a short video outlining the revision process for this standard, click here.

Safe Prescribing of Drugs with Potential for Misuse/Diversion

Closing Date: December 4, 2017

The College conducted this consultation to seek feedback on the revised draft practice standard on safe prescribing, as it had been shortened to be more succinct, and was reframed to provide clear direction to physicians to assist them in their decision-making about prescribing opioids, sedatives and stimulants. This consultation provided the College with excellent insight from roughly 400 respondents into the complex issues related to prescribing these particular medications. The College will hold a subsequent consultation to assess the revisions made to the standard.

Expectations of the Relationship Between the Primary Care/Consulting Physician and the Consultant Physician

Closing Date: August 1, 2017

This consultation was held to gather feedback from the public and the profession regarding the current awareness and application of this professional guideline. This consultation involved a total of 953 participants. Results indicated that many physicians were not aware of this guideline, and that current practices related to the communication between referring and consulting physicians are not appropriate. Patients indicated that they feel detached from the process and confused as to which physician was responsible for keeping them informed. This guideline will require extensive review and will be sent back out for consultation at a later date.

Boundary Violations

Closing Date: April 25, 2017

In order to protect patients, physicians are expected to maintain clear professional boundaries and avoid any interaction with patients that is, or may be perceived as, sexual. The College invited feedback on the revised standard: Boundary Violations in the Patient-Physician Relationship, and heard from 430 participants. Several amendments were made to the standard and it was published to the College website on June 6, 2017.

Physical Examinations and Procedures

Closing Date: April 25, 2017

In order to protect patients, physicians are expected to maintain clear professional boundaries and communication appropriately with patients during physical examinations and procedures. Following this consultation, which involved 256 participants, multiple revisions were made to this standard and it was published to the College website on June 6, 2017.